All About the Neuron
Brain Anatomy
Diagnostic Tests
Assessment of Neurological Function
Miscellaneous Brain Trivia
100

This is a specialized nerve cell that acts as the fundamental unit of the nervous system

What is a neuron

100

What are the two main divisions of the nervous system?

What are the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system


100

These are involuntary contractions of muscles or muscle groups in response to a stimulus. These can be classified into categories such as; deep tendon, superficial, or pathologic.

What are reflexes

100

This is an incoordination of voluntary muscle action, particularly the muscle groups used in activities such as walking or reaching for objects.

What is 'Ataxia'

100

What does LOC stand for

What is Level of Consciousness or Loss of Consciousness

200

This is the part of the neuron that brings information to the cell body

What is a dendrite

200

These are the 4 lobes of the brain

What are Frontal, Parietal, Temporal, and Occipital

200

This test provides cross-sectional views of the brain, distinguishing differences in tissue densities of the skull, cortex, subcortical structures, and ventricles. Sometimes IV contrast is used to highlight differences further.

What is a CT scan/Cat Scan or Computer Tomography

200

This test screens for balance. The patient can stand or sit with their feet together and arms at their side, first with their eyes open, and then with their eyes closed for 20 seconds.

What is a Romberg test

200

This test is based on 3 criteria; eye opening, verbal responses, and motor responses to verbal commands or painful stimuli.

What is GCS or Glasgow Coma Scale

300

This is the part of the neuron that takes information away from the cell body

What is the axon

300

This is the area of the brain responsible for thought, language and planning?

The Cerebral Cortex

300

This imaging uses a powerful magnetic field to obtain images of different areas of the body. The magnetic field causes the hydrogen protons within the body to align like small magnets in the magnetic field. IV contrast can be used here too.

What is an MRI or Magnetic Resonance Imaging

300

When reflexes are hyperactive, this movement may be elicited

What is clonus

300

As brain tissue expands in the inflexible cranium, this rises, and cerebral function is impaired.

What is ICP or intracranial pressure

400

This is the junction between two neurons

What is a synapse

400

This is what connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain

What is the corpus callosum

400

This test represents a record of the electrical activity generated in the brain

What is an EEG or an Electroencephalogram

400

This test is done by stroking the lateral aspect of the sole of the foot.

What is Babinski's Reflex or Sign

400

These are the 3 major divisions of the brain

What are the cerebrum, the brain stem, and the cerebellum
500

This is the explosion of electrical activity sent down an axon when a neuron sends information

What is Action Potential


500

The spinal cord is composed of this many spinal nerves.

500 point bonus if you answer correctly AND can name 5 of the 12 spinal nerves!

What is 12

Olfactory, optic, oculomotor, trochlear, trigeminal, abducens, facial,. acoustic, glossopharyngeal, vagus, accessory, hypoglossal.

500

This is a computer based nuclear imaging technique that produces images of actual organ functioning. Patients will either inhale radioactive gas or is injected with a radioactive substance that emits positively charged particles.

What is a PET scan or Positron Emission Tomography

500

During this intellectual function test, the examiner might ask the patient to count backward from 100 or to subtract 7 from 100, then 7 from that, and so forth.

What is the Serial 7s

500

This is formed by endothelial cells of the brain's capillaries, which form tight junctions, creating a barrier to macromolecules and many compounds.

what is the blood-brain barrier